Healthy Marriage
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of relationship education (RE) for individuals and couples participating in Project Harmony.
Detailed description
Although considerable research supports the positive effects of relationship education (RE) on relationship satisfaction and communication skills, the majority of existing research designs have favored pre/post or quasi-experimental designs. Furthermore, gaps in the empirical bases for RE remain regarding programmatic moderators that influence change. Consequently, there has been less emphasis on understanding which program elements contribute to positive change within couple relationships. To this end, Project Harmony seeks to conduct an impact local evaluation design utilizing a randomized control trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of relationship education between low income, ethnically diverse individuals and couples in the treatment group compared to the wait-list control group. Secondary research questions are focused on investigating mechanisms and moderators of change for the target population. Participants (individuals and couples) in Project Harmony will be randomly assigned to either the treatment or wait-list control group.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHealthy Marriage Program
Provide the following allowable activities 1) marriage and relationship education/skills, 2) relationship enhancement, 3) premarital education, and 4) divorce reduction.
Sponsors
Department of Health and Human Services
University of Central Florida
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Individuals and couples who are at least 18 years of age.
Exclusion criteria
* Does not meet the inclusion criteria
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 participants with relational and interpersonal stressors | 6 months | The primary research question for the proposed investigation is: What are the effects of relationship education on relationship satisfaction (as measured by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale); between participants who received the intervention (treatment group) as compared with participants who did not immediately receive the intervention (wait-list control group)? |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 participants with relational and interpersonal stressors | 6 months | What are the effects of relationship education on dyadic coping (as measured by the Dyadic Coping Inventory); between participants who received the intervention (treatment group) as compared with participants who did not immediately receive the intervention (wait-list control group)? |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 participants with relational and interpersonal stressors | 6 months | What are the effects of relationship education on communication (as measured by Communication Patterns Questionnaire-Short Form); between participants who received the intervention (treatment group) as compared with participants who did not immediately receive the intervention (wait-list control group)? |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed